‘True Blood’ at Comic-Con: Yes, ladies, Eric really is that hot

July 26, 2009 | 7:33 a.m.

Lest anyone forget, there is more than one vampire-themed entertainment phenomenon in the pop culture universe right now.

“True Blood,” HBO’s hit adaptation of the Sookie Stackhouse mystery novels from author Charlaine Harris, has its own legion of devoted fans keen on the show’s sexy, campy aesthetic, and plenty of them turned up Saturday to hear cast members Anna Paquin (on her birthday, no less), Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Rutina Wesley, Nelsan Ellis, Michelle Forbes, Deborah Ann Woll and Alexander Skarsgard and creator Alan Ball talk about what’s in store for Season 2 and beyond. It was Skarsgard, though, who might have earned the most enthusiastic reception — he plays vamp heavy Eric Northman on the Louisiana-set series, and well, there just must be something about those centuries-old former Vikings who become powerful immortals. They make the ladies swoon.

After screening a brief teaser reel promoting the second half of the current season, the cast took turns answering questions posed by moderator Kate Hahn from TV Guide and members of the audience, several of whom focused on the tension between Eric and Paquin’s Sookie, who happens to be romantically involved with Moyer’s Southern gentleman vampire Bill Compton. (The couple are also an item off-screen.)

Paquin said that after Sookie’s experiences last season — when she suffered the loss of her grandmother and was in almost constant danger of losing her own life — she felt that her character had become stronger and tougher, but conceded that she still gets into trouble. “Good thing she has her vampire boyfriend,” she noted. Moyer, for one, intends to make sure that Bill remains Sookie’s beau. “I’m not sure Bill’s just going to roll over and let that happen,” he said of any potential developments on the Eric-Sookie front. “He might not be as polite.”

Which means things could turn ugly, and fast, as Skarsgard said that Eric’s most likely not going to drop his advances toward the plucky cocktail waitress any time soon. “Eric’s been around for a very long time. He’s kind of over humanity, then she comes along and there’s something different about her. For the first time in a long time, he’s curious.”

Skarsgard went on to say that he’s enjoyed working on the series’ second season, as it’s allowed him to develop the character: “Eric was misunderstood. People would say, ‘You’re the bad guy,’ and I had to defend him. He is a bad ass, but as an actor, you have to have layers. . . . He doesn’t care for a lot of people, or vampires either, but the ones he does, he’s very loyal to.”

For those who thirst for something else related to the show, Ball announced that TruBlood (an all-natural blood orange soda sold in replica bottles that look just like the props on the show) will be available for purchase Sept. 10, just in time for the Season 2 finale. Fans will be able to place orders at hbo.com.

And there’s more good news for those who read Harris’ novels: She revealed during the panel that she’s signed a contract to write three more, which should take her up through 2014.

It is good to see that Alex is being given the attention that he so richly deserves. He is the reason I enjoy the books, and therefore the series, as much as I do. I was a fan of TB way before Twilight mania hit. They are equally enthralling, but I am eager to see what Alan Ball does to improve on Ms. Harris' world. She certainly has given us much to enjoy, and I for one am excited to see more TB and read more Sookie! Yikes. Yahoo. Yum. (book 4)

Alexander Skarsgard is perfectly cast for Eric . He's exactly how I would picture him in the books. He and Sookie's relationship ARE the reason I continued reading all of the books. I'll even flipped pages til I would see Eric's name just to see how far I had to read to get to the stuff I REALLY wanted to read about (~hated Quinn). The Sookie and Eric relationship needs to grow and Bill needs to be kicked to the side. I'd much rather have a tall, blonde hair , blued eyed, beautiful Viking than a brooding, lying, decieving, not so handsome confederate soldier. Yes, Alexander Skarsgard is BEAUTIFUL!!! The more of him on TrueBlood the better the ratings will be…GUARANTEED! Please follow the books! We want the Blood Bond and the Shower Scene!

I agree about the perfect casting. I also agree on Eric being preferable to Bill. But I TOTALLY disagree when it comes to Quinn. I was actually quite irritated with Charlaine Harris when she had Sookie discard Quinn the way that she did, because A : He deserved MUCH better than that treatment, and B : He was the best man by far to come into Sookie's life. He treated her better than either Bill or Eric ever did, and he didn't put her life in danger to serve his own needs. I wasn't sure what to think about him when he first appeared on the page, but by the end he had my unswerving devotion. I don't think it says much good about Sookie that she discarded a man that she "knew' she had strong feelings for in order to pursue a "man" whose allure has more to do with the "blood bond" than it does with feelings that sprung up naturally. I mean, think about it – the only way to make Sookie actually fall for Eric was to basically make him "not-Eric" for a book. That speaks volumes in itself.

I am a big fan of True Blood and Charlaine Harris's books. I can seperate the two in storyline, but I really hope Alan Ball at least utilizes the wonderful (and yes SEXY) talent that is Alexander Skarsgard to its fullest. Give him more air time… even if it to just drive Bill crazy! There is just something unbelievably different about Skarsgard in a business full of the same old same old.
BRING ON THE SWEXY SWEDE!!!

First of all … hubba hubba Eric, you wicked sex god.
Elizabeth, you must be a) mad, b) dillusional, c) all of the above, or d) have you not read the books?
Bill is the most annoying suitor for Sookie. He better not be redeemed by Charlaine in the 10th book -__-. The show did a fine job characterizing Bill as morally right *sigh*. But, I still despise him!